Bed Bugs on Carnival Glory

[jebuell]

Did you go to Roatan? I head that they have biting sand bugs there?

 

The problems were spotted before they made it to a single port so it's not something that happened at a port.

 

And pretty much every beach everywhere has some sort of sand flea.

[LHP]

The problems were spotted before they made it to a single port so it's not something that happened at a port.

 

And pretty much every beach everywhere has some sort of sand flea.

 

Which makes we wonder...if someone brings sand fleas back onto the ship from the beach...are they capable of living in the cabin??? And if so, for how long???

[gardn198]

You know what I've found with dealing with large companies like this is that the "lawyer card" doesn't scare them. My dad is an attorney and one time we flew with US Airways and they lost our luggage in Philadelphia.. what a NIGHTMARE and I will never fly with them again.. horrible airline, anyways, my dad called them and said he's an attorney and they better give him his luggage back. They politely said they couldn't do anything. Want to know what DOES WORK? Bad publicity. At the time of this incident, I was only a sophomore in college, studying film and television and working for a local news station. I called them, told them that I better have my luggage by the next day or this will be all over national news as I work for the media. (LOL.. a stretch I know). Funny thing though- they hand delivered that luggage to me in my CLASSROOM at Michigan State which is an hour and a half drive from the Detroit airport.

 

Also, I just flew to LA with Delta in November and I missed my connection in Utah because they delayed the flight for an hour because some button in one of the bathrooms didn't work. It was only a weekend vacation and I was really mad to miss a few hours of it, plus it was very inconvenient for my friend picking me up. So I called them, said that I missed a very important "Hollywood meeting" (my friend is also in the industry... so it's kind of true) and I was a loyal Delta customer, and voila, they gave me a $100 voucher which I just used to buy my ticket to Miami for my Glory cruise in February. Media is powerful when it comes to scaring a big company.

[jebuell]

Want to know what DOES WORK? Bad publicity.

 

Also, I just flew to LA with Delta in November and I missed my connection in Utah because they delayed the flight for an hour because some button in one of the bathrooms didn't work. It was only a weekend vacation and I was really mad to miss a few hours of it, plus it was very inconvenient for my friend picking me up. So I called them, said that I missed a very important "Hollywood meeting" (my friend is also in the industry... so it's kind of true) and I was a loyal Delta customer, and voila, they gave me a $100 voucher which I just used to buy my ticket to Miami for my Glory cruise in February. Media is powerful when it comes to scaring a big company.

 

This is SO true! We have a news show here that does a segment called "3 On Your Side" where they deal with customer disputes. A few months back they had a Carnival one where something happened and a woman and her friend's couldn't go on a cruise and Carnival refused to give them any money back. But after being contact by "3 On Your Side" she not only got her money back, but a letter of apology from the president, and some OBC for a future cruise!

 

Oh, and btw, Delta delaying a flight for a stupid reason seems to be a chronic issue with that company. I've run through so many airports trying to catch connecting flights because of them, including one last weekend in Memphis! Which is a shame because Northwest used to be my favorite airline but since the merge I've had only bad experiences. :( Luckily, Southwest is usually cheaper anyway. :)

[jebuell]

Which makes we wonder...if someone brings sand fleas back onto the ship from the beach...are they capable of living in the cabin??? And if so, for how long???

 

If they're anything like other fleas (which is a stretch but let's just pretend) they can hop aboard and come back with you. As long as they can continue to eat they can live for many days. If they can no longer find food they usually die within 2 days.

 

But I used to spend a lot of time on the beach and I never brought a sand flea home with me and neither did my dog which makes me believe they can't survive for long. But I'm no bug expert so don't quote me on that!

[Dee777]

There had better NOT be bed bugs on the Glory. I'll be in 7446 in 31 days!

[gardn198]

Oh, and btw, Delta delaying a flight for a stupid reason seems to be a chronic issue with that company. I've run through so many airports trying to catch connecting flights because of them, including one last weekend in Memphis! Which is a shame because Northwest used to be my favorite airline but since the merge I've had only bad experiences. :( Luckily, Southwest is usually cheaper anyway. :)

 

SAME I loooooved Northwest!! The ONLY reason I fly Delta is because I get to go to the Delta Sky Lounge for free and free luggage with the AMEX I have. Free booze and food to get me less freaked out before my flight!

[addicted to cruising]

If only one person is bitten, it could also be a spider. Not very reassuring, I know....

 

 

If it was a spider that bit me about 15 times I would say he was having a nice feast on my body!

[halos]

If anything else, we should all have learned from reading these posts to immediately upon entering our cabin or hotel rooms to LOOK AT THE MATTRESS !!

 

With all the bedbug hoopla, my DH reminded me on our last cruise vacation last month that we needed to check..

We checked into the Marriott and did a thorough matteress check...once on the ship, we did the same.

 

I don't care about getting bit, but I do care about bringing the buggers home with me.

I think I may do the trash-bag thing for the suitcases in the future because there is nowhere to store luggage except under the beds......does this really help??

[kbmeow]

If anything else, we should all have learned from reading these posts to immediately upon entering our cabin or hotel rooms to LOOK AT THE MATTRESS !!

 

With all the bedbug hoopla, my DH reminded me on our last cruise vacation last month that we needed to check..

We checked into the Marriott and did a thorough matteress check...once on the ship, we did the same.

 

I don't care about getting bit, but I do care about bringing the buggers home with me.

I think I may do the trash-bag thing for the suitcases in the future because there is nowhere to store luggage except under the beds......does this really help??

 

Whenever we travel we do this as well. Better safe than sorry

[blindrid]

my lawyer larry just wrote a letter to carnival to handle my problem, i will talk to him about your situation to see if it helps my case.

 

after talking to larry about sending a letter to carnival now he is going on a royal cruise with me out of tampa on the 13th of january for 4 nites.

 

i had bed bug bites on my head and didnt even know they were there untill the tv guy asked us if we had bites and we should inspect each other for bites.

 

I wish you luck, i wish i would have gotten my lawyer involved right away, carnival dosnt respond to the BBB or consumer justice or the media.

 

Underlined are my problems that I have with your comments. Attorney, really ??? - what is he supposed to do? I hope you didn't have to pay for friend, Larry - pretty much everything is covered in the passenger contract we all agree to and you are just spinning your wheels. We pretty much waive all rights when we get on a boat.

 

The "TV guy" I'm sure was a professional knowledgable in bed bugs and entomology in general. YOu essentially have little proof they were bed bugs or if you brought them onboard yourself.

 

BBB is a worthless, membership organization that truly has little leverage. I get a kick out of a local contracting company that has taken money, is in jail for fraud and not having licenses and they have a B+ rating with the BBB. 'nuff said.

 

Not sure what "consumer justice" is, the media, again, enough said with the over hype of the media in general.

 

Anyway, to the OP, it seems like you handled things the best you could but as mentioned this problem will become worse before it gets better. You are truly handling it better than the poster that got his buddy involved. I prefer taking the high road, not wasting time and being unproductive in general. And since the passenger contract states that we must use the Southern District Court, have fun filing any action in Miami.......that ought to take some $$$'s out of your checkbook.

[marylp]

The BEST thing for bedbugs is Tea Tree oil, bring some with you when u travel. The bugs hate the stuff, I was paranoid after being biten at a hotel in San Antonio, Texas. I used the oil on myself to help heal the itchy bites. I was really terrified that I brought them home. I diluted the oil a bit with water and sprayed by mattress, box sping, pillows, luggage etc... The smell was overwhelming but who cares! 6 months now and no evidence of those little evil bugs! If I travel, first inspect where you are staying and always carry Tea Tree Oil. I will be on the Conquest Feb, 27, I will bring my oil with me. Imagine, your luggage is with all the others, traveling from who knows where, I will spray my luggage the minute they bring it to me.

[txgolfergrl]

You know what I've found with dealing with large companies like this is that the "lawyer card" doesn't scare them. My dad is an attorney and one time we flew with US Airways and they lost our luggage in Philadelphia.. what a NIGHTMARE and I will never fly with them again.. horrible airline, anyways, my dad called them and said he's an attorney and they better give him his luggage back. They politely said they couldn't do anything. Want to know what DOES WORK? Bad publicity. At the time of this incident, I was only a sophomore in college, studying film and television and working for a local news station. I called them, told them that I better have my luggage by the next day or this will be all over national news as I work for the media. (LOL.. a stretch I know). Funny thing though- they hand delivered that luggage to me in my CLASSROOM at Michigan State which is an hour and a half drive from the Detroit airport.

 

Also, I just flew to LA with Delta in November and I missed my connection in Utah because they delayed the flight for an hour because some button in one of the bathrooms didn't work. It was only a weekend vacation and I was really mad to miss a few hours of it, plus it was very inconvenient for my friend picking me up. So I called them, said that I missed a very important "Hollywood meeting" (my friend is also in the industry... so it's kind of true) and I was a loyal Delta customer, and voila, they gave me a $100 voucher which I just used to buy my ticket to Miami for my Glory cruise in February. Media is powerful when it comes to scaring a big company.

 

 

So you are 'inconvenienced' by "Big Airline" and you brag about the fact that you LIED to get some kind of (not deserved..certainly on the LA flight) 'compensation'. No wonder airfares are so freakin high.

[bafinegan]

I have always used drier sheets( you know those fabric softener sheets that go in the drier).. I throw em in the luggage. When we get to our cabin, i put several between the mattress and box springs, put several in all the drawers we use and leave several in the empty luggage. As a previous poster said, you never know what YOUR luggage is sitting NEXT to before it gets to your cabin. Also keeps away roaches. The little suckers HATE the scent. Dunno why, but it works!

baf

[LHP]

I have always used drier sheets( you know those fabric softener sheets that go in the drier).. I throw em in the luggage. When we get to our cabin, i put several between the mattress and box springs, put several in all the drawers we use and leave several in the empty luggage. As a previous poster said, you never know what YOUR luggage is sitting NEXT to before it gets to your cabin. Also keeps away roaches. The little suckers HATE the scent. Dunno why, but it works!

baf

 

Good to know !!! Hubby travels almost every week. So far we have been blessed not to have an issue....but with him flying every week, I worry.

 

Also a VERY good point about all that luggage piled together for hours before being sorted and delivered. I have never thought about that.....

[Toast1412]

They could be anywhere. If you're worried about it pick up some "Rest Easy" bed bug spray and bring it with you.

[DEBnGAB]

They could be anywhere. If you're worried about it pick up some "Rest Easy" bed bug spray and bring it with you.

 

 

I was just going to ask..what can be done upong arrival?

 

i saw the Tea Tree oil and dryer sheet methods. And would consider the Rest Easy bug spray.

[blindrid]

The BEST thing for bedbugs is Tea Tree oil, bring some with you when u travel. The bugs hate the stuff, I was paranoid after being biten at a hotel in San Antonio, Texas. I used the oil on myself to help heal the itchy bites. I was really terrified that I brought them home. I diluted the oil a bit with water and sprayed by mattress, box sping, pillows, luggage etc... The smell was overwhelming but who cares! 6 months now and no evidence of those little evil bugs! If I travel, first inspect where you are staying and always carry Tea Tree Oil. I will be on the Conquest Feb, 27, I will bring my oil with me. Imagine, your luggage is with all the others, traveling from who knows where, I will spray my luggage the minute they bring it to me.

 

From bedbugger.com (I'm not kidding)....

"I have personally used tea tree oil with no effect whatsoever (oh, the smell is plenty annoying, to me anyway), but other people on the blog have had the opposite experience and have used it successfully as a repellent."

 

It ain't that easy. It is my understanding that the oil (as well as alcohol) needs to be applied to contact the bug, not spraying the area. If it was, there not be a bed bug problem and exterminators would have an easy fix. That goes for all of the home and green remedies. Those little buggers hide everywhere from the mattress to inside the receptable box..... you can't contact kill them all so the cycle goes on......

 

It would really p*** me off, if you sprayed it on my bed prior to me taking your cabin over.

[crusinpsychRN]

The BEST thing for bedbugs is Tea Tree oil, bring some with you when u travel. The bugs hate the stuff, I was paranoid after being biten at a hotel in San Antonio, Texas. I used the oil on myself to help heal the itchy bites. I was really terrified that I brought them home. I diluted the oil a bit with water and sprayed by mattress, box sping, pillows, luggage etc... The smell was overwhelming but who cares! 6 months now and no evidence of those little evil bugs! If I travel, first inspect where you are staying and always carry Tea Tree Oil. I will be on the Conquest Feb, 27, I will bring my oil with me. Imagine, your luggage is with all the others, traveling from who knows where, I will spray my luggage the minute they bring it to me.

 

Where did you get it?

[David7621]

Why does reading this thread make me itch???:D

[wiskt]

If anything else, we should all have learned from reading these posts to immediately upon entering our cabin or hotel rooms to LOOK AT THE MATTRESS !!

 

With all the bedbug hoopla, my DH reminded me on our last cruise vacation last month that we needed to check..

We checked into the Marriott and did a thorough matteress check...once on the ship, we did the same.

 

I don't care about getting bit, but I do care about bringing the buggers home with me.

I think I may do the trash-bag thing for the suitcases in the future because there is nowhere to store luggage except under the beds......does this really help??

 

I just went on the MONARCH of the Seas this past weekend. As a percaution I took along a large trash bag and placed my suitcase into it.

 

Bed Bath and Beyond also carries a travel non-toxic spray that claims to get rid of bed bugs. It has a eucoliptous smell to it, which I believe is a deterent product. I bought a 2-pack for $6.99 I sprayed MY suitcase before I left my home in order to possibly protect my bags while in baggage on the plain. On the ship I sealed my suitcase into the bag and ziplocked it shut. I then sprayed the open end on the bag in case anything did find its way to the end that was ziplocked and would be chased away by the spray. After the cruise, I packed all of my items into a 2nd bag inside my suitace and tossed the first one out. Once Home I immediately cleaned everything

 

Please note before anyone complains about using chemicals.....

I only picked it up because it claimed to be safe and non-toxic. I also only sprayed MY ITEMS, suitcase and the bag itself. I was respectful not to spray the bed and stateroom objects.

 

BB&B also carries what they claim to be are sheets and pillowcases that will stop any bed bugs from passing from the mattress through the sheet. For a peace-of mind it could be a cost worth paying for. Although I did not buy them, I may pick up a set and keep is as a travel set and a safe guard. PREVENTION and PREPARATION is all you really can do. It protects you and the company in case you happen to bring them onboard and don't even realize it.

[kbmeow]

 

BB&B also carries what they claim to be are sheets and pillowcases that will stop any bed bugs from passing from the mattress through the sheet. For a peace-of mind it could be a cost worth paying for. Although I did not buy them, I may pick up a set and keep is as a travel set and a safe guard. PREVENTION and PREPARATION is all you really can do. It protects you and the company in case you happen to bring them onboard and don't even realize it.

 

 

Many company's carry the mattress/ box spring and pillow covers that do this. I am highly allergic to dust mites so It was suggested I get a set . They work great for me know more itchys

[gizfish]

I have always used drier sheets( you know those fabric softener sheets that go in the drier).. I throw em in the luggage. When we get to our cabin, i put several between the mattress and box springs, put several in all the drawers we use and leave several in the empty luggage. As a previous poster said, you never know what YOUR luggage is sitting NEXT to before it gets to your cabin. Also keeps away roaches. The little suckers HATE the scent. Dunno why, but it works!

baf

 

Please stop passing on false info on how to handle bed bugs. Drier sheets will not do a darn thing to keep you from bringing them home. Oh and those of you talking about rest easy and other "natural" sprays, do yourselves a favor and read about the "studies" that were done. These "studies" were done by the very company making and selling the product and on a minimal amount of bugs. The stuff does not work. Maybe I can sell you some snake oil to keep the bed bugs away?

[Toast1412]

Please stop passing on false info on how to handle bed bugs. Drier sheets will not do a darn thing to keep you from bringing them home. Oh and those of you talking about rest easy and other "natural" sprays, do yourselves a favor and read about the "studies" that were done. These "studies" were done by the very company making and selling the product and on a minimal amount of bugs. The stuff does not work. Maybe I can sell you some snake oil to keep the bed bugs away?

 

Actually a good point, those organic claims are usually BS. I just called out "Rest Easy" as a brand name. You can get some "Hot Shot" from your local Home Depot. They make no claims about being organic but it works and it's better than storing all you luggage in a trash bag. Still not sure how the trash bag route would help? Would you put eveything in your room into the bag? I don't get it.

 

I've never had a bed bug issue and a cruise cabin is probably cleaned better than most places. Reminds me of when we were told to go out and duct tape on our windows because of WMD.:eek:

[Canuck Cruising]

What cabin were you in we cruise on Feb.20th - did you hear of others complaining about bed bugs?